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Can Prednisone Affect your Thyroid?

Can Prednisone Affect your Thyroid?

Can prednisone affect your thyroid?

Yes, prednisone can affect your thyroid.

What’s tricky is that the symptoms of thyroid issues are pretty similar to prednisone side effects.

It’s hard to tell the difference between thyroid changes and prednisone side effects.

But if you’ve been on prednisone a long time, or if you’ve gotten off prednisone and are still feeling the symptoms I mention in this video, I’d recommend getting your thyroid tested by your doctor.

Watch now!

Can Steroids Affect your Thyroid?

So thyroid is the organ that can help so many things. It helps with your heart rhythm, metabolism, temperature regulation, hair thickness, skin and your gut! It’s like the little thermostat in our body that keeps everything in balance.

And yes! Prednisone affects your thyroid. It doesn’t affect everyone, it’s a rare prednisone side effects that you may experience.

2 Types of Thyroid Changes

1) Hypothyroid

which means low thyroid. Listed below are the symptoms:

– Feel cold
Weight gain
– Constipation
– Depression
– Slow movements
– Brain Fog
– Muscle aches & weakness
– Coarse dry hair or hair loss
– Dry rough skin

2) Hyperthyroid

which means high thyroid. Listed below are the symptoms:

– Feel hot
– Hair Loss
– Heart arrhythmias
– Diarrhea
– Hair thinning
– Shaky hands
– Trouble sleeping
– Bulging eyes
– Brain Fog
– Weight loss

What Should You Do?

Go to your Doctor and you should ask for your thyroid to be tested.

Here are the Lab Test that you might undergo.

  • TSH
  • Total & Free T3
  • Total & Free T4
  • Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody
  • Thyroglobulin
  • Levothyroxine
  • Liothyronine
  • Methimazole
  • Propylthiouracil
  • Radioactive Iodine
  • Thyroidectomy (surgery)

Dr. Megan Milne, PharmD, BCACP

Dr. Megan Milne, PharmD, BCACP, is an award-winning clinical pharmacist board certified in the types of conditions people take prednisone for. Dr. Megan had to take prednisone herself for an autoimmune condition so understands what it feels like to suffer prednisone side effects and made it her mission to counteract them as the Prednisone Pharmacist.

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